Bruce P. Crandall
Bruce Perry Crandall (born February 17, 1933)[2] is a retired United States Army officer who received the Medal of Honor for his actions as a pilot during the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14, 1965, in South Vietnam. During the battle, he flew 22 missions in a Bell Huey helicopter into enemy fire to evacuate more than 70 wounded and bring ammunition and supplies to United States forces. His actions in the battle of the Ia Drang valley were portrayed by actor Greg Kinnear in the Mel Gibson film, We Were Soldiers. By the end of the Vietnam War, he had flown more than 900 combat missions. He retired from the army as a lieutenant colonel and worked several jobs in different states before settling down with his wife in his home state of Washington.
Bruce P. Crandall
"Snake", "Snakeshit"
February 17, 1933
Olympia, Washington
United States
1953–1977
3 children, 5 grandchildren
City Manager of Dunsmuir, California
Public Works Manager of Mesa, Arizona
Personal life[edit]
Crandall was born in 1933 and raised in Olympia, Washington, the capital of the state. He attended public schools and became an All-American baseball player in high school. He attended the University of Washington in Seattle until being drafted into the United States Army in 1953 during the Korean War.[3][4]
Crandall married Arlene Shaffer on March 31, 1956, and they had three sons and five grandchildren. Arlene died on November 2, 2010, from cancer.[5] As of 2011, he lives in Washington.[3]